Taste test – the last entree

Disclosure: I am participating in a Vibrant Influencer Network Healthy Choice campaign. I have been provided with free products and remuneration in exchange for my honest opinions about the products. All opinions are my own and were not influenced, nor reviewed, by Healthy Choice prior to posting.

baked ziti

Well, I have to say that I have truly enjoyed the opportunity to taste Healthy Choice entrees and their Greek Frozen Yogurt over the past few weeks. What a privilege to be asked for my honest opinions and thoughts to share with my readers.

The last product in the food-tasting series I was asked to try were Healthy Choice Baked Taste entrees. Because I love all things Italian – especially foods – I chose to taste the Baked Ziti. Once again, following the directions, I popped the entree into the microwave for a quick lunch. Our kitchen smelled delicious as the marinara and cheeses melded together. Grabbing my fork, I was excited to dig in and taste the product, and again, I was pleasantly surprised.

ziti in microwave

The pasta was tender but not mushy, and the marinara sauce was very good. And – bonus – the pasta wasn’t swimming in a sea of sauce! There was a perfect balance between the two! Additionally, the entree contained several cheeses, and as you can see by the photo, the cheeses were visible! No hunting around to see that, in fact, cheese was included, as the box claimed! And it was a nice a blend of Italian cheeses: Parmesan, Romano, Asiago and mozzarella.

cooked baked ziti

Because I am a carnivore, I needed a little more sustenance than this entree provided. So, after I tried the product un-doctored, I added some of my own Italian-style baked chicken that was left over from our previous night’s dinner. The entree was a nice compliment to my diced chicken, and indeed made a fine, quick lunch, which I enjoyed along with a small, fresh tossed salad. There are many baked entree choices to choose from, and clicking on the Baked Taste link will give you all the options, plus information about each entree.

Though the Baked Ziti entree was good, and I would purchase it again if I was dining solo, I would use tend to use this as a side dish instead of a main entree, because, well, I have a heartier appetite than most ladies I know! And, going back to my earlier comments in my previous reviews, I would love it if these products contained more organically grown ingredients. But, it is refreshing that there are no added preservatives or food colorings.

Of all the Healthy Choice items I was honored to try, my favorite, by far, are the Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers. For the freshness, presentation and overall taste, I believe they may have revolutionized frozen meals.

It is my hope that this series has been a benefit to my readers. Let me know if you have tried any of these products, and if so, what you have thought of them.

© Lynne Cobb – 2013

Opening my mouth by closing my wallet

wallet

“Vulgarity begins when imagination succumbs to the explicit.” – Doris Day

You know, I didn’t want to be another commentator on the recent MTV Video Music Awards show, and yet, here I am, typing away from my little corner of the world. Since I can’t watch the news without being constantly reminded of this ridiculous dance routine, I just can’t stop thinking about how disgusted I am with the vile performance by Miley Cyrus, Robin Thicke, and all those involved in such a complete display of vulgarity.

Maybe I have just reached the end of my proverbial rope with the shock-pop culture and the double standard of it all. Everyone is quick to jump on the bandwagon and wag their fingers at Ms. Cyrus, but that is really unfair.

Most likely, some smooth-talking producer was stroking this young lady’s ego, promising her the moon and the stars, fame and fortune. And let’s not forget, there was a married man on stage, singing as she was twerking, back-up singers and dancers who were just as vulgar, and many folks behind the scenes. Sure, she could have said “no” to the pornographic performance. But she didn’t, as she, like many other young ladies, can’t seem to shake the “Miss Goody Two-Shoes” image fast enough.

But why? When did being a good person with decent morals and values become such a bad thing?

We can sit and blame her parents, the media, the music industry, the choreographers and a litany of others, but really, if we are going to be honest, we need to take a harsh look at the image in the mirror and put the blame where it belongs – on ourselves.

For decades, we have watched the erosion, as television, Madison Avenue and the music industry have added an edge to sitcoms, movies, videos, reality shows, commercials and the Super Bowl half-time shows. On the slippery slope of being edgy, each performer or commercial has to one-up themselves for the next round. And yet, we keep watching these shows and videos, and purchasing their music and products.

Look at the Herbal Essence commercials, where the gorgeous model with a magnificent mane of hair is having an orgasmic experience in the bathroom of an airplane (I mean, really? You can hardly turn to flush in one of those insanely small flying-port-a-potties, let alone wash one’s hair. But I digress…) And let’s not forget the big-chested, bronzed-up model seductively eating burgers and fish sandwiches during last year’s Super Bowl commercials, or the insanely provocative commercials promoting a Website hosting service…the list is endless.

Seriously, when one needs to sell talent, a product or performance with a large set of breasts, six-pack abs, heavy breathing or twerking, there must be no other value in said object.

Reality shows? Don’t get me started! We watch as babies are paraded around in beauty pageants and dance shows. What message are we sending little girls? And let’s face it, those are little girls that are being made-up in make-up. They are being sexualized for what? Potential scholarship money? A shot at stardom? A mansion?

If these little ones do get a shot at stardom, then what? We watch the train wreck that becomes their lives after their 15 minutes of fame ceases, or their first pimple appears? Then we read about their drug addictions? Or tabloid stories about who they are sleeping with? Or their stints in rehab, so they can be demoralized and humiliated by late-night comedians?

And yet, we continue to watch these shows, buy these products, and go along our merry way, until one of these child stars grows up, gets outrageous – either onstage or off – and we get all holier-than-thou and judgmental. We’ll drag his or her name through the mud for a few days, until the next child-star-gone-wild makes headlines.

And then, we will go through this insane charade again.

If, in fact, we are tired of this, and we are concerned about these kids as well as our own kids who are watching this disturbing trend in our society, then we, as parents, need to band together and make it stop.

How? Let’s hit the television and video producers and marketers in their wallets by keeping our pocketbooks closed. If they really think we are going to continue to allow them to line their pockets at the expense of our children and our society as a whole, they are wrong. If we demand something better, then they will have to deliver something better. Until then, they will continue to pump vulgarity into every aspect of our lives, because by our actions, and by our not taking a stand for decency, we allow them to deliver filth.

What do you think? Let me know in the comment section.

© Lynne Cobb – 2013

 

 

 

The day I lost my #FitBit

Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Boomer Voices program and have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product.

It is no secret…I am not a big fan of exercise. In fact, I have injured myself more than once trying to stay fit! However, I know that staying active – when I don’t hurt myself – is really necessary to good health, both physically and mentally. Especially as a boomer.

965

While in Chicago for our Verizon training and kick-off, we #Boomers were given a FitBit One wireless activity and sleep tracker. Jokingly, I called it my fitness stalker, because it records every step you take, every move you make…

Anyhow, I took me a while to muster up the courage to activate this very small, high-speed device, because – well – I was afraid it would show me just how inactive I can be. As I writer, I am on my rump a good portion of the day. So, sometime during mid-August, after the crazy summer started to settle down (storms, power outages, daughter being very ill, etc.), it was time to get into gear and see how much I moved – or didn’t move – in a day.

Seriously, if it took ten minutes to sync the little tracker to the laptop, create an account and download the mobile app to the Motorola Droid Razr Maxx HD I am also reviewing, then I would be surprised. I clipped the tracker on, and away I went.

967

Always wanting to know how close the grocery store is to my home, off I walked to grab a few groceries. Then, a little yard work, up and down the steps to do laundry and a short bike ride with my granddaughters. Quickly it was revealed to me that I didn’t move as much as I thought. I synced the tracker to see my stats throughout the day, and realized I needed to move a bit more.

As I am really competitive with myself, my goal was to break the previous day’s step record. That would’ve been ideal had I clipped it on before I walked out the door! Ugh! You can bet that the next morning, I didn’t forget!

And then, I was hooked.

I received a badge for over 5,000 steps. The next day, I walked over 6,000 steps. The day after that, I was trying get to over 8,000 steps. The tracker really did motivate me, and I walked the entire floor of two super-sized stores, ran many errands, did laundry, walked to the grocery store and then walked to my neighbor’s for a knitting group. Secretly, I wondered if my stitching would record on the FitBit.

The world will never know.

At 10:45 p.m., exhausted yet exhilarated, I grabbed my FitBit to sync up and view my amazing, awesome, physically active day.

It was gone.

Gone! I searched high and low until midnight, digging through the laundry, crawling around the yard with my awesome flashlight app. I contacted my neighbor, who didn’t see the tracker. I texted texts, posted posts and tweeted tweets.

Gone. I am still stunned, because the clip was extremely strong. A little bump wasn’t going to budge or nudge it off my pocket. I am thinking I was pick-pocketed!

Feeling deflated, I crawled into bed. I couldn’t even track my sleepless night with the FitBit because, dang it, I had lost it!

The next morning, I was again walking through the yard, down the street, up and down the steps, digging through my knitting bag, climbing under the car, moving furniture, checking dog crates, warning my son to look for it while he cut the grass. I probably tripled my activity as I re-traced my steps, trying to find my FitBit. I bet I had a better workout just trying to find the tracker than if I had been wearing it!

It took a few days to resign myself to the fact my FitBit was gone. Oh, and to add insult to injury, my FitBit stat report arrived via email, showing all the progress I had made, up until my “inactive” period. I wanted to cry! I could have had some really great numbers to post, if I hadn’t lost my tracker.

fitbit

So yes, the FitBit works. That device will motivate you to move, whether it is attached to you or laying in a parking lot somewhere, waiting to be found.

© Lynne Cobb – 2013

Do you use a fitness tracker? If so, which one? Has it motivated you to move? Share in the comments section!

Woo whoo! The folks at Verizon/ComBlu took mercy upon me and sent another FitBit One! Look what arrived today! Thank you!!!! 🙂

new fitbit

Taste-testing, again!

981

Disclosure: I am participating in a Vibrant Influencer Network Healthy Choice campaign. I have been provided with free products and remuneration in exchange for my honest opinions about the products. All opinions are my own and were not influenced, nor reviewed, by Healthy Choice prior to posting.

980

My second round of food tasting for Healthy Choice was for the new Cafe Steamers. I rarely purchase frozen meals, because they are usually not very tasty, and with the size of our family, we’d be waiting in line all night to use the microwave. And, again, as I stated in my previous frozen yogurt post, we are trying to eat healthier – more organic and more locally grown foods.

So, I admit I was a little nervous in trying out the Beef Merlot. The photo on the package enticed me to choose it. It looked delicious – beef, carrots, potatoes and green beans in a savory sauce. Plus, I was curious as to how the steaming method would work. Placing the bowl in the microwave, I left the plastic wrap on as directed. As my dinner began to cook, the aroma filled the kitchen. So far, so good, as the Beef Merlot smelled delicious. In fact, my teenage son commented on what I was cooking. As I carefully peeled the wrapper and tipped the food from the steamer section into the bowl holding the sauce, I was impressed that the food looked good! No shriveling, the color was good, the veggies appeared crisp. Carefully mixing the sauce into the meat and veggies, I was looking forward to tasting.

                               981     982

                                984    985

I wasn’t disappointed. The beef chunks were tender, the veggies were crisp and the potatoes were just right. And, it tasted good. I was pleased with my quick dinner.

                                   976         993

For lunch the next day, I tried the Chicken Linguine with Red Pepper Alfredo. Using the same cooking instructions, I was again impressed with the coloring, texture and taste of the product. The veggies were crisp, the chicken was tender, and the noodles did not get mushy. Though I did prefer the Beef Merlot, the Chicken Linguine was good.

Apparently, the “tray-in-tray technology” that separates the ingredients while cooking works, as the vegetables are crisper and the pasta is al dente.

Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers would be handy to keep in the freezer for a quick lunch or if you find yourself dining solo. There are several varieties to choose from, including vegetarian dishes. There are no artificial flavorings or colors – yay! My only recommendations to improve the product would be to try to add organic meat and veggies, tone down a little on the salt, and, for big eaters like me, add a little more meat or chicken to the dish. Pare up the Cafe Steamer with a fresh salad, and you have a nice, quick meal.

Wanting to learn more or see all the options available in the Healthy Choice Cafe Steamer line? Just click on Cafe Steamers for details.

Have you tried Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers? If so, what do you think? Let me know in the comment section.

© Lynne Cobb – 2013

Junk? Trash? No! Hands off my stash!

“To invent, you need you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.” Thomas Edison

rose in bud vase

The organizational bug hit me the other day, so I began fall cleaning a little early. Starting a little at a time, I tackled my dresser drawers, the night stand and my food pantry. Amazing how much junk one can collect. Some of it is so easy to pitch! Other items, not so much.

I came across a pile of greeting cards, which gave me a well-deserved cleaning break. Sorting through the anniversary, birthday, thank-you and Mother’s Day cards, I found some real gems, especially the handmade cards from my brood.

card

One of the best things I found was a construction paper card filled with coupons. It was made by my now 18-year-old son. Lucky for me, he was unaware of expiration dates at the ripe old age of ten, so I promptly presented him with the, “1 Free Room Clean Up (without groans)” coupon. I held onto the original, so I can present it again later this week when he needs to borrow the car…

Moving into the kitchen, I pitched boxes of cereal that had less than one serving remaining, stale crackers and cookies, and a bottle of dry creamer that I forgot was even there. I don’t even know why it was in the cupboard. Dumping all the contents into the trash, and crushing boxes for the recycle bin, I held onto the empty plastic creamer bottle.

“Surely there will be a good use for this,” I thought, as I washed the container.

A chill ran down my spine. I was turning into my grandmother!

My maternal grandmother, a product of the Great Depression, kept everything. I mean, everything! Newspapers, cat food cans, scraps of foil, boxes of all shapes and sizes, plastic bags – the list is endless.

She was a firm believer in reuse, reduce, recycle long before it was a popular catch phrase. And as much as I used to roll my eyes when she insisted I pull something out of the trash, I now get it.

Believe me when I say I have my own collection. Sparkling water bottles make great containers for my chocolate and lemon cellos. I wash and re-use spice containers for the herbs I am growing in my garden, which are now drying in bunches in my kitchen. Since I make my own deodorant and tooth paste, I use containers from all kinds of leftovers, looking for that perfect package. My homemade laundry detergent is in an old sherbet container. Gallon-size plastic tea jugs are lined up, waiting for me when I start making the liquid detergent again. Old Ball and Mason jars are shoved in a cabinet for when I figure out how to can tomatoes, which better be soon as I have at least 100 Romas ready to turn red. I have used pasta jars for displaying wildflowers and dandelion bunches. And oh, to prove I am not completely crazy, the photo at the top of this post shows that small sparkling water bottles make great bud vases!

containers

Good heavens – I am addicted to glass jars and plastic containers!

But I have it under control – believe me, I do! Once a year a take an inventory, and what I can’t use, I throw into the recycle bin. Or I figure a way to use the container in order to justify keeping it on hand.

chives

Yes, there is a method to my madness! That little, itty-bitty pimento container? My dried chives will be a perfect match! The dried mint will look beautiful in my antique spice jars. The sage, (which tasted awesome and smelled divine while roasting in last Thanksgiving’s turkey) will fit perfectly in the gelato container. The cellos – I can now double the recipe for these delicious drinks.

But darn it, I have yet to find something to fill that creamer container.

Oh, Grandma, I miss you! You would be so proud of me, recycling and learning to garden. I wish I had watched you, as you lined up jar after jar of fresh, delicious veggies from your garden and delectable fruit from your trees, carefully canning and preserving each item. I am really sorry that I rolled my eyes; you were ahead of your time in so many ways!

Plus, dang it, I know darn well you’d figure out something I could do with that Cremora bottle…

© Lynne Cobb – 2013

Do you have a hard time parting with items that could one day be useful? Share in the comments below.

 

 

Sure, I’ll try some Greek Frozen Yogurt

healthy choice yogurt

Disclosure: I am participating in a Vibrant Influencer Network Healthy Choice campaign. I have been provided with free products and remuneration in exchange for my honest opinions about the products. All opinions are my own and were not influenced, nor reviewed, by Healthy Choice prior to posting.

One of my latest ventures in blogging is to test, review and write about products. In a short series, I will have tasted and tested products from Healthy Choice. I mean, who wouldn’t jump at the chance to try frozen yogurt? And as much as I love Greek yogurt, I was really excited to try the frozen concoction.

Healthy Choice Greek Frozen Yogurt is made with real non-fat milk, yogurt cultures and dairy protein. It tasted just like yogurt – creamy and tart. Before I dived in with my spoon, I let the container sit on the counter for a few minutes to soften. I was pleasantly surprised, as other frozen yogurt I have tried didn’t really have that yogurt taste.

The flavors I sampled, strawberry and raspberry, were both good. The strawberries gave the frozen treat an extra tang and tartness. My favorite of the two was the raspberry frozen yogurt. I think the sweetness of the fruit really balanced the yogurt tang. The bad girl in me wanted to bust open another container of the raspberry yogurt and drizzle some melted dark chocolate all over it. But I figured three containers of frozen yogurt in one day may be a bit excessive!

I was really appreciative of the serving size. To me, it was perfect – enough of a serving to satisfy one’s sweet tooth without going overboard on portion. As someone who beat Type 2 diabetes by changing my diet, losing weight and exercising, I am all for smaller dessert portions. The best way to blow a diet, or give up a change in better eating habits, is to deny oneself things like dessert! The Healthy Choice Greek Frozen Yogurt has 100 calories with 4 grams  of protein per serving, so whether enjoying a container for a dessert or to satisfy a mid-day (or mid-night!) sweet craving, this product would fit the bill.

In addition to the flavors I tried, Healthy Choice Frozen Greek Yogurt also comes in Dark Fudge Swirl (which I am going to try soon!), Vanilla, Blueberry and Honey (Sweet! If I add wheat germ, would it be considered breakfast??!)

Now, I wouldn’t be true to myself or my readers if I wasn’t upfront about what most of you know about me – that I am doing my best to eliminate household chemicals and eat organic and locally grown foods. So, that being said, I was really happy to see that there were no artificial flavors or colors in the two Healthy Choice Greek Frozen Yogurt snacks I tried. And, since all-organic all the time is not always possible, or affordable, it is nice to see that there are some better choices hitting the frozen food section for those of us doing our best  to make better food choices. I would love to see Healthy Choice Frozen Greek Yogurt offer a line of organic snacks, or even just eliminate the modified corn syrup. So, while I wait for that day, I in the meantime, I will add this frozen treat to my “I can have this for dessert” list.

For readers wanting more information on Healthy Choice Frozen Greek Yogurt, feel free to click on this link: httpsss://bit.ly/132oiw1. Additionally, if you would like to try Healthy Choice Frozen Greek Yogurt, you can download and print off a $1 off coupon with this link: httpsss://bit.ly/14MKQ5O

Happy snacking!

rasp yogurt

© Lynne Cobb – 2013

Supporting those who support those who serve

mug shot

“No one really wants to admit they are lonely, and it is never really addressed very much between friends and family. But I have felt lonely many times in my life.” – Bill Murray

Sitting in church on Sunday, our pastor’s sermon theme reflected on friendship. Though he interjected some humor with thought-provoking questions, his message really hit home. I am sure many of us squirmed, knowing full well that we all can, should and could be better friends.

He touched on something that really resonated with me, and that was loneliness, and what it really felt like. If you have ever experienced loneliness, and I am talking gut-wrenching, deep-in-the-pit loneliness, you could relate. When you are hurting, you don’t want to be forgotten.

Most of us think of loneliness when we hear of someone passing away. Loneliness is part of the grief experience.  But it isn’t always death that makes one feel alone. Any traumatic experience – like a cancer diagnosis, a divorce, a job loss, addiction, losing a home – can lead to feelings of loss and grief.

Because I am a military spouse and mom, I know how very lonely it can be when your loved one is not home. Basic training, TDYs, far-off duty stations and deployments  can cause grief: separation anxiety, lack of communication, missing your loved one. You grieve for the life you had before they left. You grieve for normalcy. At times, people avoid service members’ families for fear of making them – or seeing them – cry. Similar to how people react to a death.

And honestly, that is isn’t too far off the mark as to how we respond, in general, when others journey through difficult times. We don’t know what to say or do, often afraid we will make things worse.

Back in the late 1960s, Elizabeth Kubler Ross introduced a hypothesis for the five stages of grief. Some pooh-poohed her idea, and others embraced it. When my dad died, I can say I went through the stages, though not in any particular order. I stumbled upon some notes regarding those stages recently, and it was like I had an “ah-ha” moment. The stages of grief are similar to the feelings many military families go through when those deployment warning orders start filtering down the chain of command:

  • Denial (Oh, this won’t happen. He is needed at his base more than over there.)
  • Anger (Mad at the command, mad at the violent world we live in, mad at the dog, mad the account won’t balance. Mad! Mad! Mad!)
  • Bargaining (God, if you keep my service member home, I will ___________ [fill in the blank].)
  • Depression (Some days, you just want to pull the covers over your head and sleep until your loved one returns.)
  • Acceptance (This really is happening, and with God’s help, I will survive it.)

I’ve been asked before how one can really help military families – you know, “to support those who support those who serve.” As a well-season military spouse and mom, I have some suggestions listed below for those who have a friend, neighbor, co-worker, church member or relative facing or living through a deployment. But really, these can be used for anyone in need:

  • Be there. When my husband left for a deployment, my sister-in-law showed up at our house within minutes of his departure. Kids, coffee, and tears. I don’t even know if I talked. But she held my hand while I cried.
  • Bring a meal. My mother is the best. She either a brought a complete meal or invited us over. What a relief to not have to worry about feeding the kids. What a relief to not have to eat alone if the kids are not home.
  • Texts are great, but there is nothing better than hearing a voice at the other end of the line.
  • Invite the spouse, parent or family for coffee, ice cream, or just for a visit. Evenings, weekends and holidays are the worst times for feeling lonely, as that’s when most families gather and interact.
  • Drop off or mail a care package to the family. Maybe a box with some movies, popcorn and candy; a cookie bouquet half-way through the deployment; a flower arrangement on an anniversary or birthday; a balloon bouquet on a child’s birthday; fresh-baked cookies…let your imagination run wild!
  • Offer to help – from childcare to errand running to household/yard chores. A military spouse is pulling double duty.
  • Don’t say,”If you need me call.” Just call – they do need you.
  • Don’t be afraid. You will see tears. I guarantee it. Consider it an honor that your friend can comfortably cry in front of you.

Certainly, we have all the technology we can handle to stay in touch, but as connected as we are, there is a huge disconnect in interpersonal relationships and human touch. We rely so heavily on texts, posts and tweets, that we feel we have done our duty to connect. And while electronics are good to get the dialogue going, I think we’re really missing out if we don’t get out of our comfort zone and help wipe some tears, hand someone a box of tissues, give them a big a hug or sit and hold their hand. Something as simple as sharing a big slice of chocolate cake, or a bowl of body-and-soul-warming soup can do wonders for someone who’s lonely and scared. They will know they aren’t alone.

From someone who supports someone who serves, I can tell you, it will be appreciated. Greatly appreciated.

“Sometimes, reaching out and taking someone’s hand is the beginning of a journey. At other times, it is allowing another to take yours.” – Vera Nazarian

Would you be interested in seeing more blog posts on how to support military families? Feel free to let me know in the comments section.

© Lynne Cobb – 2013

No power? No problem!

“Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Boomer Voices program and have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product.”

A few weeks ago, my husband and I headed out to meet some friends for dinner at a nearby restaurant. The sky was stormy-looking, and it had just started to rain. We both commented that had we grilled, like we originally planned, our burgers would be a tad bit soggy. A few moments later, we could see the lightning putting on a great show, as the rain came down in torrents. There were a few good, strong wind gusts, and by the time we got to the restaurant, the skies were clearing.

But the damage was done. We were about two miles from home, trying to enjoy the time with our friends, and all of our phones were buzzing with texts from the kids at home and at work.

“We don’t have power,” and, “Did we really lose power at home?”

Great! We really did pick a good night to go out to dinner! Sometimes our timing is good! We ate and drank in air-conditioned comfort, and our dinner companion’s received the good news that their power came back on. Our teens were at work, so we didn’t get any further updates on our power outage.

But…we did get texts from the kids telling us not to take certain roads home because of downed lines and trees.

Wow – the storm was that bad? Oh yes – and then some. Trees and power lines littered our neighborhood – uprooted, landing on roofs, blocking major roads and knocking out power. The storm, quick as it was, packed quite a punch.

The power was not on by the time we got home.

tree down     damaged fence

Our neighbor’s tree fell in the back of her yard, crushing the cyclone fence that divides our property, and narrowly missing another neighbors’ brand new garage. Whew. But, what we weren’t expecting was that same tree would pull the electrical lines from our house.

broken riser  riser post

The weekend we had planned just took a complete, 180-degree change. And that’s when my Motorola Droid Razr Maxx HD proved its worthiness.

First and foremost, the phone call-quality is top-notch. That was proved when I started making calls to the utility company. Then to the fire department, which deemed our house un-safe, which prompted a call to the insurance company, which prompted more calls to several area hotels, because we weren’t the only ones who sustained damage and in need of a safe haven. Oh yes, then a call to an electrician. On and on and on.

Thank goodness I had added the flashlight app to this phone! During our #VZWVoices #Boomer training in Chicago, one of my fellow bloggers was raving about her flashlight app. I am so glad I listened! We were able to find all the lanterns, candles and flashlights using this great feature.

Let’s not forget the awesome camera that I used to capture a zillion photos from all angles. The pictures could be directly uploaded from my phone to our insurance company – using their mobile app – which I had downloaded a while back! Additionally, any receipts could be photographed and uploaded for the claim.

As we waited for news on the lines being fixed and power being restored, I installed the DTE app to track progress and report additional problems. (Kudos to DTE, as their app features a flashlight, too!) And, of course, I just had to check email and Facebook and Twitter. Plus, I used the mobile hot-spot feature so that my husband could use his laptop.

But wait? Didn’t I say we had no power? I did. That’s why this phone was a God-send. In the 70 hours we had no power, I charged my phone once, while we were at the hotel! The extended battery life on this device made using all the apps, hot-spotting, phone calls and more totally do-able. It made navigating the power outage so much easier.

The only thing it couldn’t do was make a great espresso. And my soldier used his Army survival skills to conquer that problem. Which I captured with my phone…

espresso

How has technology made your life easier? Share in the comments below!

© Lynne Cobb – 2013

Hello world!

392

Greetings from my new, improved blog space! Please be patient as I figure out how to add my old posts to the new site, and get to writing new posts…basically, I am starting from scratch! But that’s okay – this process has taught me a lot about transferring domains, decoding “geek-speak,” saving and backing up files – all good – as I am continuing to learn in the ever-evolving technological world!

So…If you have moved a blog from one domain to the next, let me know how you fared! And I will probably pester you to help me from time to time!

Geez – I just can’t seem escape constructions zones this summer 🙂

Have you gone from your technological comfort zone? Feel free to comment!